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Children's reading lists

15 must-read fantasy books for 9-12-year-olds

Momo

At the edge of the city, in the ruins of an old amphitheatre, there lives a little homelss girl called Momo. Momo has a special talent which she uses to help all her friends who come to visit her. Then one day the sinister men in grey arrive and silently take over the city. Only Momo has the power to resist them, and with the help of Professor Hora and his strange tortoise, Cassiopeia, she travels beyond the boundaries of time to uncover their dark secrets.

Michael Ende was one of the most popular German authors of the 20th Century, captivating millions of children around the world with his fantasy stories. His most successful book, The NeverEnding Story (1979) has been translated into more than 30 languages, made into a hit movie in 1984, and remains a much-loved, international bestseller.

The Neverending Story

Unicorns, dragons, sprites, will-o&rsquo;-the-wisps: the inhabitants of an enchanted world. And into this world &ndash; through the pages of an old book &ndash; ventures Bastian, a lonely boy of ten or twelve. But Fantastica is slowly decaying, its Childlike Empress dying. Only a real human being can set things right by giving the Empress a new name. Bastian takes up the challenge, and finds himself crossing the Swamps of Sadness and the Silver Mountains, meeting sorcerers and giants, bats and night-hobs, gnomes and racing snails, as he journeys bravely toward the Ivory Tower, Bastian&rsquo;s quest is filled with all the wonders of myth and fairy tale. It is a fantasy adventure that will capture your heart &ndash; and recapture the magical dreams of childhood.

Michael Ende

45th Anniversary Edition

Puffin Clothbound Classics are stunning collectable hardback editions of some of the best-loved classics in the world - including this highly anticipated 45th anniversary edition of The Neverending Story. 
 
Only the right name gives beings and things their reality. A wrong name makes everything unreal. That's what lies do - Michael Ende 
 
Bastian is nobody's idea of a hero, least of all his own. 
 
Through the pages of an old book he discovers a mysterious magical world - a world of dragons, monsters, witches and GIANTS! A world that is doomed unless a human can save it... 
 
Can Bastian succeed in battling terrible foes and find the strength he needs to give the Empress a new name?

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15 must-read fantasy books for 9-12-year-olds

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